By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
In order to foster development in the South West Region and ensure a successful 100% execution rate of all projects in the region, the President of the SW Regional Executive Council, Zacheus Bakoma Elango has appealed on all contractors of South West origin to help the regional assembly develop the SW region. “We want to avoid the phenomenon of ghost contractors, adventurers who come and lobby for contracts and when the contracts are awarded to them, they go and sub list the contracts”.
He was speaking in Buea this Tuesday, February 14, 2023 during the first ordinary session of the regional assembly for 2023 which brought together all councillors of the assembly including heads of deconcentrated services of the state amongst other officials. The event was presided over by the Governor of the SW region, Bernard Okalia Bilai who talked on what the state of Cameroon realized in the SW region in 2022.
Presenting the situation of the region, the status of deliberations of the regional assembly, the financial situation of the region alongside other issues was the President of the South West Executive Council, Zacheus Bakoma Elango who said 57 projects above FCFA 5,000,000 were earmarked for the year 2022 wherein Fako Division had a 75% execution rate, Meme 67%, Manyu Division 90%, Kupe Muanenguba 83.3%, Ndian 100% and Lebialem division 45.5%.
“At the regional assembly we had 57 projects, 50 projects have been executed at 100%. 5 projects are ongoing and 2 projects were lost due to the seriousness of the contractors involved; one of them was the one in Limbe II and the construction of the maternity block in Wabane. Total revenue sent to the regional assembly for 2022 was FCFA 2,500,000,000”.
“In this year 2023 a lot more will be done. I have had a session with the engineers building up our technical files and they are through. We have equally had a session with the tenders’ board. Everything will be done to ensure that we attain 100% execution of our projects. We shall continue to develop in the domain of health, education, public works” etc he stated.
In an interview with the press, Governor Bilai said the SW region is doing well. “The execution rate of projects is really high and impressive though we have a problem of follow-up because some of the regional councilors don’t do a follow-up of the projects to know exactly what is going on. They only show up upon completion of the projects to complain. The councilors should be on the field at all phases of the project” he advised.
He added that the state has always and will continue intervening in all the sub-divisions and 6 divisions to ensure that projects are properly executed. “I am pleased because the local authorities and the regional assembly have executed more than 80% of the projects earmarked for the region” he stated.
In a bid to accompany government’s efforts, President Bakoma noted that the South West Regional Assembly will in the weeks ahead donate to the Buea-based DDR Centre a brand-new Toyota Starlet vehicle to serve as a useful instrument for the driving school within the said centre.
He also announced to the population of Ndian and Meme divisions that the government of Cameroon represented by the Prime Minister, Head of Government will this year rehabilitate the 28Km Mbonge (Meme Division)- Boa- Bamusso (Ndian Division) road at a global cost of FCFA 287.070.525; as well as the 135.43 km Mundemba-Toko-Dikome Balue (Ndian Division)- Three corners Ekombe road (Meme Division), for an amount of FCFA 600,000,000 to be done in 2 phases; phase 1 (2023)- FCFA 400,000,000 and phase 2 (2024)- FCFA 200,000,000.
It is also important to note that shortly after the parliamentary session, the regional assembly intends to organize a ground-breaking peace and development forum to brainstorm and make concrete proposals for a return to lasting peace and meaningful development of the region.